GENOMICS,GENETICSANDEPIGENETICSRESEARCHPROGRAM PROGRAMCODE:GGE PROJECTSUMMARY/ABSTRACT TheGenomics,GeneticsandEpigenetics(GGE)program(formerlytheCancerGeneticsandGenomics Program)consistsof48memberswhobelongto15differentacademicdepartmentsandareboundtogether bysharedinterestinstudyingthecancergenomeandepigenomeandtranslatingthisknowledgeintonew drugs,noveltherapeuticstrategies,andnoveldiagnostictests.Theprogramadoptedanewnamein2015by including?epigenetics?intheprogramtitletoreflectincreasinginterestbyitsmembersinepigeneticresearch. Theprogramhasthreemajorresearchthemes:1)identifyandcharacterizegeneticandepigeneticchanges thatdrivecancerformationandprogression;?2)developnewanalyticaltools,dataresources,andnovel laboratorymodelsthatenablegeneticallydriventherapeuticapproachesanddiagnostictests;?and3)translate thegenomicandgenetic/epigeneticdiscoveriesintonoveldrugsandnewdiagnostictests.Thesegoalsare accomplishedthroughprogrammaticinteractionbetweenlaboratoryscientists,clinicians/clinicaltrialists,and computationalbiologists.ThemostimportantfunctionoftheGGEprogramistofostercollaborations,guide recruitment,andprovidetechnologytoaccomplishthesegoals.Weorganizemonthlyresearchseminarsin whichmemberspresenttheirresearchprojectstodisseminateinformationacrosstheprogram.Wehold retreats/symposiaonrelevantcancergeneticstopicsandprogramleadersactivelyworkoncollaborative ?matchmaking?tobringtogethernewresearchteams,includingbasicandclinicalresearchers,toadvance cancerresearch.Throughthesemechanisms,sinceourlastrenewal,wehaverecruited19newmembersand increasedourtotalmembershipfrom44in2012to48in2017.Wealsocreatedseveralnewmultidisciplinary researchteams,establishedseveralnewinvestigator-initiatedclinicaltrialsledbyGGEmembers,and increasedcollaborationbothwithintheprogramandbetweenYCCprograms.Wealsoincreasedourtotal fundingbase.InJune2017,thetotalresearchfundingoftheprogramwas$11.5M,whichisa40% increasecomparedto$8.2M(alldirectcosts)atthetimeofthelastCCSGrenewalin2012.Totalpeer- reviewedfundingis$8.6M,ofwhich$1.9M(directcosts)comefromNCI.GGEmemberspublished718 cancer-relatedpapersbetweenJuly2012andJune2017,ofwhich17%wereintra-programmatic,30%inter- programmaticand66%collaborativepublicationswithinvestigatorsfromotherinstitutions.